I think it’s safe to say that my PR know-how has expanded significantly since I started at HMA this summer. From the ins and outs of media relations and client communications to event planning and social media, I’ve hit the jackpot of knowledge! However, I also learned something at HMA that I wasn’t expecting to; the importance of volunteering and giving back to the community.

This past Friday we volunteered as a team at Southwest Human Development for the morning to help sort children’s books and of course, we killed it! I quickly learned that this wasn’t the team’s first rodeo, and we had those shelves stocked in no time with every bilingual children’s book you could imagine!

Whether we’re volunteering at a local organization or providing pro-bono PR services to local non-profits, HMA makes time to make a difference, which I wasn’t necessarily expecting from a busy and bustling PR agency. In previous positions I’ve held, volunteering simply wasn’t considered part of work-life culture. I’ve been fortunate enough to volunteer through church and my sorority, but since experiencing the benefits of volunteering with my colleagues I think it’s good practice to establish volunteering as a priority in the workplace as well. Not only is it gratifying to do something good for others, but it’s an opportunity to bond with your co-workers and learn what causes might be important to them. Maybe we’ll have to visit the kittens at the AZ Humane Society with Alison next!

We may find ourselves super busy at the HMA office sometimes, but it’s important to step back from the craziness of the PR world and remember what really matters; coming together as a team to make a difference.

Maddie recently graduated from Northern Arizona University and has since settled in Scottsdale to join the HMA team! She has a passion for snapchat filters, ChopShop coconut chia seed pudding and her cat, Phoebe. She is excited to learn more about all channels of PR with the HMA team.